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United Continental addressed remarks by Virgin founder Richard Branson over what he called an airfare war for the West Coast between United and Virgin America. "Any time a competitor comes into your market and they lower fares to stimulate demand, we're going to match those fares," said John Rainey, the executive vice president and CFO of United Continental. "And to the extent that demand has increased, we're going to increase supply."

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United Airlines may use some of its $4.4 billion in cash to help purchase new aircraft, said Chief Financial Officer John Rainey. United could pay for 25 aircraft entering its fleet this year with a mixture of cash and financing, which helps the airline rely less on debt financing.

John Rainey, chief financial officer of United Airlines, said the Boeing 777-300ER could make sense for the carrier. "One thing that you could see is that we could consolidate all of the 747 flying in one area, and that would have a cascading effect with the 777-300ER in other markets and the 787 somewhere else," Rainey said.

John Rainey, the chief financial officer of United Continental Holdings, says owning a fleet of aircraft made by one manufacturer saves money. "It helps from a maintenance perspective. It helps from a scheduling perspective," Rainey said. The carrier flies aircraft from Boeing and Airbus.

In a statement to U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, Virgin Atlantic said a proposed joint venture between American Airlines and British Airways would hurt competition on trans-Atlantic routes. "Airlines everywhere are struggling with the current price of oil, but the solution to their problems should not lie in an anti-competitive agreement which will inevitably lead to less competition and higher fares," Sir Richard Branson said in the letter.

In a statement to U.S. presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, Virgin Atlantic said a proposed joint venture between American Airlines and British Airways would hurt competition on transatlantic routes. "Airlines everywhere are struggling with the current price of oil, but the solution to their problems should not lie in an anti-competitive agreement which will inevitably lead to less competition and higher fares," Sir Richard Branson said in the letter.